Senior Environmental Planner

The Toxics Cleanup Program (TCP) within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Senior Environmental Planner (Environmental Planner 4) position. This position is located in our Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

As the Senior Environmental Planner, your primary responsibility is planning, engagement, involvement, and collaboration for the Toxics Cleanup Program's Headquarters Cleanup Section, which includes working with environmental groups, local governments, Tribal governments, consultants, and other stakeholders specifically on cleanup projects managed by the section, including, but not limited to Department of Defense (DoD) sites and Puget Sound Initiative (PSI) Cleanup Sites.

 

As the section planner, you will plan for, and communicate with local governments regarding remedial action grant laws, rules and guidance, and will be responsible for contracts with environmental consultants for public outreach on complex cleanup sites on the Everett and Anacortes Waterfronts, and implement inter-agency and contractual agreements.

 

Agency and Program Mission: Ecology’s mission is to protect, preserve, and enhance Washington's environment through the wise management of our air, land, and water. The Toxics Cleanup Program’s (TCP) mission is to prevent and remove contamination and support sustainable communities. The Headquarters Cleanup Section in the TCP provides centralized senior level technical support, develops and/or reviews guidance, and provides regulatory interpretations for the implementation of Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) Cleanup Regulation and Sediment Management Standards (SMS) for sediment management activities within the state. 

During Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery, employees are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. This position has the opportunity to telework up to 90% of the time. Ecology is following current state guidance regarding mask requirements, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing. Looking ahead, Ecology has recently updated the agency policies on telework and flexible and compressed work schedules. Applicants with questions about position location options, telework, and flexible or compressed schedules are encouraged to reach out to the contact person listed below in “other information.” 

 

Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, with an initial screening date of August 31, 2022. In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before August 30, 2022. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.

Ecology cares deeply about employee wellness; we go beyond traditional benefits, proudly offering:

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect (DEIR) are core values central to Ecology’s work. We strive to be a workplace where we are esteemed for sharing our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals and collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations.

Diversity: We celebrate and appreciate diversity; our unique perspectives and abilities enrich us all and lead to innovative approaches and solutions.

 

Equity: We champion equity, recognizing that each of us need different things to thrive.

 

Inclusion: We intentionally create and hold space so that we all have meaningful opportunities to participate and contribute to Ecology’s work.

 

Respect: We treat each other with respect and dignity, acknowledging the inherent worth of our diverse perspectives and lived experiences, even in times of uncertainty and disagreement.

We believe that DEIR is both a goal and an action. We are on a journey, honoring our shared humanity and taking steps to demonstrate our commitment to a vision where each of us is heard, seen, and valued. 

 

Duties

What makes this role unique? 

As the section's Environmental Planner, you will be responsible for identifying, anticipating, planning for, and developing solutions to issues involving cleanups so that the cleanup process may proceed as efficiently and effectively as possible. These cleanups occur under the authority of the Model Toxics Cleanup Act (MTCA).

 

In this role, you will ensure that cultural resource policies, procedures, and guidance for Washington State, Ecology, and Toxics Cleanup Program (TCP) are implemented in an effective and timely manner for section-based cleanups by working closely with the section’s cultural resource contacts, site managers, and Tribal entities. You will also manage stakeholder engagement on site cleanup projects or major modifications to existing laws, regulations, policies, and/or program and section planning needs.

What you will do: 

Qualifications

Experience for both required and desired qualifications can be gained through various combinations of formal professional employment, educational and volunteer experience. See below for how you may qualify.

A Bachelor’s degree with major emphasis in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field AND five (5) years of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development.

 

A Master’s degree or above with major emphasis in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field AND three (3) years of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development.

One (1) year of experience as an Environmental Planner 3 at the Department of Ecology.

We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below.

Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.

Supplemental Information

Ecology seeks diverse applicants: We view diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect through a broad lens including race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, military background, language, education, life experience, physical disability, neurodiversity, and intersectional identities. Qualified candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Need an Accommodation in the application and/or screening process or this job announcement in an alternative format?

It's in the applicant's best interest to submit all of the documents listed below. Applications without these documents may be declined.

Please do NOT include your salary history. Wage/salary depends on qualifications or rules of promotion, if applicable. 

When attaching documents to your application (such as Resume, Cover Letter, Transcripts, DD-214, etc.):

 

Please make sure to answer the agency-wide questions regarding permanent status as a classified employee within the Washington General Service or Washington Management Service. Do not forget to select Department of Ecology as a response to question 2, and type your personnel ID number for question 3. If you are not sure of your status or do not know your personnel ID number, please contact Human Resources.

The act of submitting application materials electronically is considered affirmation that the information is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information and any untruthful or misleading answers are cause for rejection of your application or dismissal if employed. 

If you have specific questions about the position, please email Nick Acklam at: Nicholas.Acklam@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Nick to inquire about the status of your application.

To request the full position description: email careers@ecy.wa.gov

As an agency, our mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment for current and future generations. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism, and accountability.

Joining Ecology means becoming a part of a team committed to protecting and restoring Washington State's environment. A career in public service allows you to help solve some of the most challenging problems facing our state, while keeping your health and financial security a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to life/work balance.

Ecology employees may be eligible for the following:

Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave*, 11 Paid Holidays per year*, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), Employee Assistance Program, Commute Trip Reduction Incentives (Download PDF reader), Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth *See the Benefits tab in this announcement for more information 

The Department of Ecology is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Forgiveness Program (PSLF). See https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for more details.

To learn more about The Department of Ecology, please visit our website at www.ecology.wa.gov and follow, like or visit us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or our blog.

Collective Bargaining: This is a position covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.  

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Washington State Department of Ecology is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans, military spouses or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application/testing process or this job announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 407-6186. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.

Note: This recruitment may be used to fill other positions of the same job classification across the agency. Once all the position(s) from the recruitment announcement are filled, the recruitment may only be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days.